1. What can we buy with the grant money?
The UK co-ordinating school is responsible for ensuring that the grant is allocated to every school in the partnership and that it is spent on eligible items. It is very important that the grant is spent on eligible items and that this can be shown in the statement of expenditure. Please see the relevant guidance notes from the year you were awarded a grant for further details. If you're not sure if an item is eligible or not, please contact us to check.
Eligible expenditure for your grant includes:
- International travel - Internal travel in both countries directly related to the school visits - Accommodation (there is a maximum limit on this) - Visa costs - Travel insurance - Subsistence (there is a maximum limit on this) - Curriculum resources directly related to the joint curriculum project you are doing - Supply cover directly related to partnership activities (there is a maximum limit on this) - Staff training directly related to partnership activities or development education (there is a maximum limit on this) - Communication related to partnership activities - Resources such as paper, printing, photocopying directly related to your joint curriculum project
Some costs are not eligible for funding, including:
- Travel related to sightseeing - Gifts - Whole computer systems for southern partner schools - Electrical items and computer hardware for UK schools such digital cameras, computers, webcams etc
2. How do we transfer money to our partner school?
Different partnerships come to different solutions, depending on local conditions and what is convenient. Speak with teachers at your partner school about what is most appropriate. It may be convenient to buy travel tickets in the UK for the visit to the UK, but this may add to your costs.
Note for UK-Sri Lanka partnerships: No funds should be transferred directly to a Sri Lankan school or teacher bank account. Funds need to be sent via British Council Sri Lanka in Colombo. Please contact a member of the team for more details.
When planning your visits, please remember to allow plenty of time to apply for passports, visas and to visit your doctor.
3. What records do we need to keep?
It is the UK co-ordinating school's responsibility to maintain and submit financial records.
All schools in the partnership are responsible for sending receipts and financial records to the UK co-ordinating school.
As part of your final report you need to complete a statement of expenditure. It is easier to fill this in if you keep accurate financial records throughout the year.
It is also good practice within a partnership if you establish systems for transferring money and of keeping track of any payments or transfers. If a new teacher became involved in the partnership, would they be able to see what money had been spent on what?
Please follow the instructions on your final report carefully and ensure that all necessary receipts are submitted with your statement of expenditure and that the UK co-ordinating school stores all other receipts as requested.
We will audit some schools, so please make sure that you keep your records up to date.
4. How and when do we complete the global curriculum project final report?
The global curriculum project final report must be completed by all partner schools. This can take some time and it is a good idea to start working on the final report during the second visit so that all schools can contribute fully.
The closing date for the global curriculum final report is 1 September 2012. This applies to schools completing Year 1 and also Year 2 and 3 if schools have renewed their grant.
5. How do we get a copy of the global curriculum project final report?
GCP final report and guidance notes are available for download here.
6. What support can we get for our partnership?
A wealth of resources and support is available to you and your partner schools.
Find out about our team in the UK and in selected partner countries in the contact section of the website: www.dfid.gov.uk/globalschools/contacts
CPD courses are available online through www.global-schools.org
We also have a new GSP Sustainability Toolkit.
7. We've just been awarded a grant, what happens next?
Your approval letter will be sent to the UK co-ordinating school. Please read this carefully make sure that all schools in the partnership have opportunity to discuss the comments and advice given.
It's also a good idea to give all partner schools a copy of the contract, once you've received the signed copy from us, as this is often needed to support visa applications.
8. How will the grant be paid to us?
Once all UK schools have completed the online survey and the contract has been signed, we will arrange for a BACS payment to be made into the bank account of the UK co-ordinating school. This can take some time and we will write to you once the paument has been made.
You will need to download and follow the instructions on the bank details form available on this website. Schools in receipt of a reciprocal visit grant in the last two years do not need to re-submit this form.
If the UK school uses a Local Authority's bank account, we will still make the payment in the same way. When we write to you to let you know that the payment has been made, please contact the Local Authority and let them know how much has been paid.
The initial payment is 80% of the total amount awarded. The final 20% will be paid when the final report and financial reconciliation has been completed.